State Reveals Plans To Fix Big Dig Soil, Lights, Guard Rails
BOSTON (CBS) - Massachusetts transportation officials announced plans to repair several Big Dig issues on Thursday.
SINKING SOIL, TUNNEL LEAKS
The Highway Department will being drilling down in the next few weeks to take samples of the soil around the connector tunnel where they believe a sink hole has developed.
They will take the samples to determine where the soil has settled, and how much more it is expected to settle.
WBZ-TV's Karen Anderson reports
Last month, engineers revealed that previously frozen soil around South Station has been thawing, opening up a space underneath a Big Dig tunnel. State officials, however, insist the tunnels are safe.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Jim Smith reports
Podcast
Highway administrator Frank DePaola later showed the media the wall leaks in the I-93 tunnel. Rust and corrosion was spotted in between the slabs of the tunnel. There is no permanent fix for this issue, and crews must instead pump in a chemical grout and repair and repaint rust on the steel. Ten to 12 gallons of water leak in each minute to the O'Neill Tunnel.
Several pump stations, which can pump up to 1,200 gallons of water per minute, are designed to keep the tunnels clear of water. They pump out the water that is leaked into the tunnels and the water used to clean the tunnels.
GUARD RAILS
There have been nine fatalities tied to high speed, where the rails have caused dismemberment. Several of the victims were decapitated.
As a result, some guard rails will be removed, but others deemed necessary to protect workers are required to stay in the tunnels.
LIGHTS
At least 25,000 lights have been secured with two straps, which is a 3-to-4 year fix. Officials haven't decided yet on a permanent solution.
The next generation of lights, though, will be lighter in weight and more energy efficient.
POWER
In the event of a power outage, the tunnel has 14-15 generators across the system to keep the lights on.
Power has never gone out in the tunnels, but nevertheless, officials test them every month.
OTHER NOTES
The Big Dig had a total price tag of $14.8 billion, with $8.549 billion covered by the federal government.
